How do the panther and the game animals (deer, antelopes, etc) react to open spaces?

Open ground works in opposite ways for hunter and hunted — it exposes the panther but protects its prey.

Concept

• Visibility is a double-edged factor in this predator-prey relationship: it removes the panther's advantage of surprise while giving game animals early warning of danger.
• Each side therefore chooses terrain that suits its own survival strategy.

Key points

• The panther avoids open spaces and keeps to forest cover, since it needs concealment to stalk prey unseen.
• The game animals (deer, antelope, etc.) deliberately seek out open grazing grounds, where they can spot an approaching predator from a distance and escape in time.

Common mistakes (परीक्षा में सावधानी)

• Do not reverse the roles — a common slip is writing that the panther prefers open ground; it is in fact the game animals who seek it out.
• Both halves of the contrast (panther's avoidance and prey's preference) are needed for full marks; giving only one halves the score.

Real-world

• This mirrors how prey species in open savannahs (e.g., gazelles) rely on clear sightlines to detect predators like leopards early, while the predators favour cover for ambush.